


Different Yet the Same

by The_Apocryphal_One



Series: Love Without Memory (Kamunami Week 2017) [5]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, F/M, split personality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 06:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9807872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Apocryphal_One/pseuds/The_Apocryphal_One
Summary: It didn't really bother Chiaki much when Hajime told her he had a split personality; while she did get they were separate people, he was still part of Hajime, so he couldn't be too bad, right?





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Split-personality AU, non-Despair. Izuru can't grow his hair out fast enough before Hajime cuts it, so he's got short hair here :P

Chiaki first met Hinata-kun at a train station. She’d been playing her Game Girl Advance as she waited for the train, and he’d been standing next to her, and he’d glanced over and recognized the game. They’d spent the rest of the wait eagerly talking about it, continuing their discussion as they boarded. When they both exited at the same stop, Chiaki realized they attended the same high school, and the rest, as they say, was history. From then on they always met up at the train station to commute, with a natural, easy friendship blossoming.

Maybe, Chiaki privately admitted, something a bit more than friendship. At least on her end. It was embarrassing, but it felt a bit like destiny to her. Meet a cute guy who happens to share your interests, goes to the same school as you, takes the same train there, and boards at the same station? It was like something out of a video game.

Of course, every game had a plot twist. A few weeks into their friendship, Hinata-kun confessed, eyes on the floor as they walked to the train station, that he had a split personality. He seemed scared that this would cause her to reject him, so she hurried to reassure him.

“I don’t think that’s a problem,” she hummed, smiling encouragingly at the brunet. “I mean, he’s part of you, isn’t he? Just a different part. So he can’t be all that bad.”

“No, trust me, he’s a jerk.” Hinata-kun deadpanned. His face became apologetic. “I probably should have told you earlier, but I like you a lot and I didn’t want to scare you off. And that’s usually what happens when people find out. Or else they meet him and then never want to talk to either of us again.”

Chiaki had to swallow a lump in her throat at how downtrodden he looked. She quietly took his hand in hers, and he met her gaze, giving her a tight smile.

“So what happened?” she queried softly, tilting her head to one side. “I mean, what happened to make you tell me now?”

“Our medication changed again,” he sighed, kicking at the dirt. “We were actually handling things pretty well before; we could even sort of schedule when one of us would be dominant at certain events. But the new one is making switching more irregular and sudden. I figured I should tell you now before you meet him and get confused why I’m suddenly calling you boring.”

“I won’t abandon you, Hinata-kun,” she promised, squeezing his hand. “In RPGs the correct choice is always for the protagonist to put effort into his or her relationship with the party, no matter how difficult it may be.”

He swallowed. “Thank you.”

They stayed there for a few moments, just holding hands, before Chiaki took a deep breath and smiled. “So, why don’t you tell me about him so I know what to expect? I’m sure I’ll meet him soon enough…”

* * *

Indeed, it didn’t take long for her to meet his other personality. Only days later, Hinata-kun arranged for them to spend the weekend at a newly-opened game arcade. Chiaki was running a little late—she didn’t _think_ this was as an actual date, but just in case she’d spent a bit more time dressing nicely.

“Sorry, Hinata-kun,” she panted, having run to their arranged meeting point, “It took me a bit longer than normal to get ready, I hope you weren’t waiting long…”

She looked up and blinked.

Hinata-kun was generally a casual dresser, but today he was wearing a _business suit,_ of all things. His face was completely blank, and his body language was stiff, aloof. ‘Do not approach’, everything read. “Nanami Chiaki,” he said in a flat tone. “Hajime has left me many notes explaining his relationship to you.”

It clicked. “Oh! You must be…um…” What had Hinata-kun said his other personality went by? “…Kamukura Izuru, right?”

“Correct.” A pause stretched out, past what was socially acceptable.

Abruptly he said, “The arcade is this way,” and with that began walking away. Chiaki scrambled to follow, a bit thrown-off by his cold demeanor.

“Do you play video games, Kamukura-kun?” she tried. “If you don’t we don’t have to go to the arcade, I’d hate for you to feel obligated to…”

Staring straight ahead, he answered, “I play. However, they bore me.”

That was disappointing. She frowned, stuck; she wasn’t sure how she’d handle bonding with someone who didn’t like video games. But she liked Hinata-kun, and she’d promised to try. “Is there something else you’d like to do instead, then?”

“I have no preferences as to what activities we partake in,” he droned. “It’s all the same to me: boring and meaningless.”

Chiaki stopped walking. “Hold on.”

He half-turned, an eyebrow arched.

“Are you saying there’s _nothing_ you enjoy?”

“That is correct.”

“That’s awful!” she cried out. “Life is meant to be enjoyed. There should be things you can find happiness in!”

“Life is boring and meaningless,” he corrected. “We are born, we live, and then we die. That’s it.”

“And it’s because our time is limited that it’s precious!”

They were standing at the entrance to the arcade now, and she impulsively grabbed Kamukura-kun’s hand. “Come on! Maybe the reason you haven’t been enjoying video games is because you’re always doing them by yourself. Hinata-kun told me you don’t really socialize, and…I know I have more fun when I’m with other people! So maybe you will too!”

* * *

“You’re really good at this, Kamukura-kun!” she exclaimed a short time later, rapidly mashing the buttons on the machine. To her left the brunet was moving the controls much more fluidly, with a precise control that wasted absolutely no energy. Despite his apparent lack of seriousness, his character’s health was actually higher than hers, something no one had ever accomplished.

With a yell his character delivered the final blow, sending hers flying. The victory theme played on his screen; on hers the words _YOU LOSE!_ flashed.

Chiaki sat back, exhilarated. There was nothing quite like having a good, long match, where you could enjoy even your loss. It had been too long since she’d experienced that feeling, and this had been the most intense rush she’d gotten while gaming in a long time.

Which made it all the sadder that Kamukura-kun couldn’t enjoy it.

She peeked a glance at him. He honestly didn’t seem all that bad. Okay, he definitely had a negativity problem, and he was quiet, and he was blunt to the point of rudeness when he _did_ talk. But he struck her as more anti-social than outright _mean._

“…Hey, Kamukura-kun. How about we do a co-op game next?”

His eyebrows rose marginally. “…Even though you lost, you want to keep playing?”

“Well, yeah.” She smiled. “I definitely had a lot of fun that match, but I want you to have fun too. Losing doesn’t matter to me so much as just spending time with you and Hinata-kun.”

For the first time, he looked directly at her. He had a very intense stare, as if he were trying to eat her with his eyes. Chiaki waited for him to accept or reject as seconds trickled by, then—

“I was not planning to show up,” Kamukura-kun suddenly said. “However, in his notes to me, Hajime has done a great deal of begging for my cooperation. He has been very anxious that I will say or do something that will cause you to cease relations with him. It made me curious as to who the girl who already captivates him so is.”

 _He really thinks that highly of me?_ Her cheeks warmed at the notion. But it didn’t look like Kamukura-kun was finished talking, so she waited.

He studied her a moment longer, then said, quieter, “I can safely say his judgment is good, for once. You are…an interesting individual. I doubt you will ever beat me, but I am not adverse to spending more time in your company.”

She beamed, blush still on her face.

“Let’s work together until you can lose someday too, okay?”


End file.
